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IMPROVEMENT IN GUIDES POR WATERHWHEELS.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be'it known that I, NATHAN'F. BURNHAM, of York borough, in the countyofYork, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in the Construction of Cases and Guides for TurbineWater-Wheels; and Ldo hereby` declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, making a'part of Vthis specification, in which-Figure l is a top view ofthe devices for adjusting the water-guides.

Figure is a. side elevation of the same. o

Figure 3, sheet 2, is a section taken in the horizontal plane, indicatedby red line yy in Iig. 2.

Figure 4, sheet 2, is a section, taken in the vertical planes, indicatedby the course of red line :r z in fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalgures.

This invention relates to a novel mode of shaping, pivoting, andarranging the guides, which'form the water-passages leading into the.wheel=case, whereby unobstructed converging passages are formed, whichwill guide and direct lthe water upon the buckets or oats of the wheelWithin the case, in the most advantageous manner, as will be hereinafterdescribed. i Y

To enable others skilled in theart to'understand mynvention, IWill-describe its construction' and operation;

In the accompanying drawings, A and B represent two rings, which aresecured together by means of posts a a, in planes parallel to eachother, and at such a distance apart as to receive 'between them theguides which form the water-inlet passages. The lower ring A isconstructed with acylinder or band, A', upon it, which projects down farenough to receive a cross, which holds the step for the water-wheelshaft to rest upon, and

said ring is turned out in a suitable manner to receive the water-wheel.The ring B, which is above theA ring A, forms the top of the water-way,and also a part ofthe top of the wheel-case. The interior diameter ofthis ring B is very slightly larger thanv the diameter of thewater-wheel, so that the wheel will turn freely therein, and admit ofbeing lifted out of the wheel-case when the cap therecl is removed. Thecap C is a ring, .which fits tightly up`on the ring B, and is boltedfast thereto by screws and nuts b2 63, as shown in fig. '4. This cap hasa central dome, C', formed on it, in which the journal-box is appliedfor the shaft of the water-wheel.

.On top of the' cap C is a ring, D, which is supported in a'positionconcentric to the axis ot' the circular wheeh case, and which is oflessdiameter than the cap over which it is arranged. At regular distancesapart around this ring D, short arms, b b b, are pivoted to its bottomside by vertical pivots. The outer ends of these arms are pivoted tostuds b1 b1, which project through slots d d', made through the top ringB, which studs are formed c on the upper edges, and near the outercurved ends of pivoted guides Gr G', as shown inthe drawings. The

arms b can be readily slipped up over the studs b1 b1. The ring D isycentred and supported in position, by

means of anged rollers, arranged so as to receive and'bear againsttheinterior edgeiof the ring, which rollers g g have their lowerbearings in the cap-ring C, and their upper bearings in brackets c c,secured to the dome C of said ring. This ring D is moved about its axisby means of a. vibrating arm, e, which is secured 'at its cuter end to avertical shaft, h, which has' a square head for receiving akey-r'od, andwhich turns freely between a. bracket, t, and the ring B. The inner endof the arm'e is'pivoted to the ring D by means of a vertical pin, t',which passes through an oblong slot, through said arm, and entersthering, as shown in 1. By turning the shaft of arm E partially ardundtoward the' right or the left, the guides Gr G may all he movedtogether,4

and the passages for the entrance of water Ainto the wheel-caseincreased or fliiuinishedf` or completely closed. Instead of employingthe arm e for moving ring D, a toothed pinion may be used in its stead;and a'segxnentIl rack secured to this ring, which will engage with theteeth of the pinion. The guides G G may be varied in number, accordingto the diameter of the case, and the amount of water to be admittedtherein. These guides are curved inward about three-fourths theirlength, and outward about one-fourth their length. They are pivoted tovertical boltsj, which pass through both 'rings A and B, and alsothrough ears 7c lc', which are formed on the outer faces, and near theinner ends or termini of the guides, as shown in the drawings.A I Theseguides are of an equal length and of uniform shape, and they are of suchlength that, when shut, as shown in blue lines, 5, their outeriiaringends will overlap the inner ends ofthe guides nearest them. Theinner faces of these guides are concave, so that water directed againstthese surfaces willbe conducted onward toward the inner ends of theguides, while acting upon the floats of the wheel within the case. Theouter ends'of these guides are turned outward, so as to form, inconjunction 'withfthe external bevelled surfaces yy, and inner ends ofthe guides nearest th'em, flaring throats or passages,'(or the passageof water in straight lines to the bucketsot` the water-wheel.

It will be seen, by reference to g.4 5, that the rWater entering any oneofthe passages formed by two ofthe guides will take the cuursejndicatedby the arr'ov, which is a straight line nearly tangential to thecircumference of the Water-wheelwithin the case. It' the guides Gaveremade straight or dat on their inner surfaces, instead of concave, asshownLother things being equal, then the water would be obstructed ordammed at the entrance of the throat, and the currents would take acourse more direct toward the'centre of the wheel-case. By having theguides curved and arranged as shown and described, very little or noobstruction will be offered to the passage of water into the Wheel-case,and the force of the water Awill be directed to a much better advantageupon the oats of the wheel. The mere curving ofthe guides alone, asabove described, would not secure the straight flow of the Water indirect lines; hence I have made the external surface of the inner endsof the guides bevelled, instead of curved, as heretofore; and it is bymeans of this combination of curved and straight surfaces that the enddesired is secured. n

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

The guide constructed with arbevelled surface, as at y, such bevelledsurface forming one side of the entire throat, formed by the respectivepairs of guides, substantially in the manner and for the purposedescribed.

NATHAN F. BURNHAM,

Witnesses:

J oHN Hays, Anexa. DUNCAN.

